Book Review: Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason

Acceptable Risk (Danger Never Sleeps #2). Lynette Eason. Revell (2020). 320 pages.  Genre:  Romantic Suspense, Christian Fiction.

First Lines: "The pain compelled her - No...propelled her.  It had to end.  Living this way wasn't living."

Summary:  Sarah Denning is an investigative journalist with the Army stationed in Afghanistan.  Her unit is taken hostage and kept in a rough jail.  Sarah smuggled a satellite phone in the folds of her burqa and is able to send an SOS.  Sarah's father, a US Army General, sends Gavin Black and his team to perform the rescue operation.

Sarah's difficulties are only beginning.  Shot in the rescue process, she has many weeks of recovery ahead of her.  When she is finally able to be discharged, she discovers that a false psychiatric evaluation will prevent her from returning to her job.  While she is working to get the evaluation overturned, she learns of her brother's suicide.  Finding it hard to believe that he would do such a thing, she enlists Gavin to help her discover the truth.  As they begin investigating, their lives are in danger.  But Sarah can't find peace until they uncover the truth.

My thoughts:  Lynette Eason is a must read author for me.  She has a knack for creating characters that are strong and smart, while also being flawed.  Her stories are always action packed and this one is no exception.

The focus of this series is a group of friends who work together in the Middle East.  Some are in the military, others are not.  Each book focuses on one of the female characters.  In the first book, Collateral Damage, Sarah Denning was mentioned, but we didn't really get to know her.  

Sarah has become well known in the area for a story she wrote about an orphanage that was bombed in Kabul.  The incident affected several members of the military.  Many were discharged with medical issues and received treatment for PTSD.  Sarah is brave and willing to take risks to find the truth.  She also has a lot of baggage.  She has a difficult relationship with her father and tends to do things just to spite him.  I loved the way she slowly, realistically comes to realize that she has been acting out of anger and begins to accept the ways her father has been imperfect.  

Gavin Black has also left the military and started his own security business.  Formerly an Army Ranger, he also was stationed in Afghanistan.  He and Sarah dated briefly during that time.  When Sarah's father contacts him about the rescue mission, he doesn't hesitate.  He and his team are well trained not only in security, but also rescue missions.  He was hurt by Sarah previously, but is able to put that aside for the greater purpose.  Gavin also grows in the course of the story.  He confronts some things in his personal life that he had been ignoring.  

One of the major themes in the book is reconciliation.  I loved the way this was worked out in several character's lives.  

The story begins on a suspenseful note with Sarah being held hostage and rescued.  From there it only becomes more complicated.  There were so many twists and turns it was hard to put the book down.  I had a hint of where things were going, but no idea how it was going to play out.  

There are some heavier topics in this book - bombing, terrorists, suicide, PTSD, drug use and addiction.  The author never lets the atmosphere become too heavy, but balances the difficult things with hopeful things.  

While this is part of a series, it could be read on its own without missing too much.  However, I would recommend you start with the first book in the series, Collateral Damage.  It won't be long until I pick up the next book in the series. 

Quote:

"Sometimes you need someone to step in and save you from yourself."